Device for picking up live wires



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. O. ROCKWELL. DEVICE FOR PIGKI'NG UP LIVE WIRES.

Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

2 Sheets-Shet 2.

' (No Model.)

0. ROCKWELL. DEVIGE FOR PIGKING UP LI-VE WIRES.

No. 575.311. Patented Jan. 12, 1897.-

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

HERBERT O. ROOKIVELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR PICKING UP LIVE WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,311, dated January12, 1897.

Application filed April 16, 1896- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT O. ROCKWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Picking up Live Wires, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in devices for picking up liveelectric wires; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combinationof parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed outin theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved tool. Fig. 2 isa view from one side thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on as as of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a View of the side opposite that shown in Fig. 2 with partsbroken away. Fig. 5 is a side view of a device having a modified form ofgripping device. Fig. 6 is a plan View thereof, and Fig. 7 is a detailshowing means for shifting the pivotal point between the two levers.

The object of my invention is to construct a suitable tool or device forpicking up the ends of live trolley-wires or other wires heavily chargedwith electricity, and thus avoiding the serious accidents occasioned bypersons seizing the live ends of broken trolley and other overheadwires, so common in large cities.

In detail the device may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,1 and 2 represent, respectively, two levers pivoted at their ends to oneanother, the longer lever 1 having an extension beyond the pivotal pointin the shape of a scoop 2, expanding from the pivotal point of thelevers outwardly and bounded by the lateral upturned walls 3 and 4, respectively. The inner end of the wall 4 has formed thereon a concavedepression 5, about the terminal edge or end 7 of which the end of thelive wire 8 can be bent or kinked and seized, as subsequently to beexplained. About the pivotal point of the jaw 2 and on the side adjacentto and opposite the depression 5 is a cam-surface or eccentric 9. At asuitable distance from the cam-surface and Serial No. 587,819. (Nomodel.)

forming a part of the casting constituting the base of the lever 2 is afinger or toe 10, be tween the rear wall 11 of which and the terminaledge '7 of the wall 4 is left a sufficient space or opening 12 for thefree passage of the wire 8. In picking up the end of a live wire thelever 2 is swung open, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the wireis scooped up between the walls 3 and 4, and the device passed along thewire until the free end of the latter projects slightly beyond the end7' of the wall 4 of the scoop. This being done, the lever 2 is thenclosed, as seen in full lines in Fig. 1, whereupon the cam-surface 9 ofthe lever 1 forces or presses the wire into the depression 5 and the toe10 bends the free end about the corner formed by the end of the concavedepression 5 and terminal wall or edge 7. The wire is thus firmlygripped by the levers and cannot be withdrawn. The lever 2, when closed,is locked into position by the loop 13, pivotedto the adjacent surfaceof the lever 1 and adapted to swing about the free end of the lever 2.The parts being thus locked, the device can be suspended above theground by a cable or rope 14, car ried by the lever 1, which can be tiedor secured to any object in the street, such as a pole, wall of abuilding, or the like. When thus suspended, the grounding of the end ofthe broken wire is thus temporarily prevented, the parts being leftsuspended until the lineman can repair the break on the main wire.

The body portion of the levers 1 and 2 is composed of wood or othernon-conducting material, each being secured to the basal casting of thelever, as indicated, that is, each casting is forked, the wooden portionof the lever being inserted between the members of the forks andriveted, as seen in the drawings.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, the scoopedextension 2 is practically absent, a bent wall or loop 20 beingsubstituted therefor, the said loop guiding the wire, which latter issubsequently kinked and gripped by passing between the cam-surface 9 ofthe lever 2 and the loops or walls 20 and 21, carried by the lever 1. Inthe case of thin wire, where it is necessary to form a sharper kink toproperly grip the same, the relative position of the pivotal connectionbetween the levers is shifted so as to bring the surface of the cam 9'nearer the edge 22, disposed between the loops 20 and 21 of the lever 1.

The shifting of the relative position of the pivotal point isaccomplished by forming two enlarged openings 23 23 in the lever 2 ateither end of the narrow passage 24: and forming the section of thepivotal pin 25 oblong, whereby upon the turning of the pin in oneposition in the opening 23 it will hold the parts pivoted about saidopening and whereby upon turning of the pin so as to freely pass throughthe narrow passage 24 the lever 1 maybe shifted so as to bring the pin25 into the opening 23', when the pin can be turned in the latteropening in proper position to hold the parts pivoted about said opening.This method of shifting the relative position of the pivotal point,however, is not herein claimed, as it is not new.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device forpicking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted to one another at oneend, a scoop forming an extension of one of said levers for initiallyseizing the wire, means for gripping the wire after the same has beenseized, and suitable means for locking the levers after the same havebeen closed and the wire gripped, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for picking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted to oneanother at one end, a scoop forming an extension beyond the pivotalpoint of one of said levers, and suitable means for kinking and firmlygripping the wire after the end of the same has been scooped up orraised from the ground, substantially as set forth.

In a device for picking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted to oneanother at one end, a scoop forming an extension of one of said levers,said scoop expanding outwardly from the pivotal point of the levers tothe free end of the scoop, a concave depression along one of the wallsof the scoop, a cam or eccentric formed about the pivotal point of thesecond lever and located approximately opposite the concave depressionof the scoop, a toe formed on the short lever and located at a suitabledistance from the end of the concave depression to allow for the freepassage of the wire between the toe and said end of the depression,whereby upon the closing of the levers, the wire will be gripped betweenthe cam-surface and depression and bent about the end wall of theconcave depression, and means for retaining the levers in a lockedposition after once closed, substantially as set forth.

4C. In a device for picking up live wires, a long lever having a scoopat one end, lateral walls for said scoop, a short lever pivoted to thefirst lever at the base of the scoop, and means carried by the shortlever for gripping the wire after the same has been scooped up,substantially as set forth.

5. In a device for picking up live wires, a long lover, a scoop at oneend thereof, a short lever pivoted to the long lever at the base of thescoop, means carried by the short lever for gripping the wire, means forlocking the levers together after the same have been closed and the wiregripped, and a cord or rope secured to the long lever for suspending thedevice at any convenient point, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device for picking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted to oneanother at one end, means forming a part of one of the levers forinitially picking up the wire, and suitable means carried by the leversfor kinking and gripping the wire, substantially as set forth.

'7. I11 a device for picking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted toone another at one end, means forming a part of one of the levers forinitially picking up the wire, and suitable means carried by the leversfor kinking the wire to different degrees according to the nature orthickness of the wire to be operated on, substantially as set forth.

8. In a device for picking up live wires, suitable levers pivoted to oneanother at one end, a cam disposed about the pivotal point of one of thelevers, means for shifting the relative position of the pivotal pointbetween said levers, whereby a variable kink may be made in the wirebent between said cam and Walls carried by the opposite lever,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT O. ROCKWELL.

Witnesses: I

ALFRED A. MATHEY, EMIL STAREK.

